Chicago ? As expected, the Chicago Bulls have exercised the fourth-year option on Kirk Hinrich’s contract, meaning the third-year guard now is signed through the 2006-07 season.

“Kirk is a very big piece of this team’s foundation,” operations chief John Paxson said. “He is a great leader for our team both on and off the floor, and I am very excited to watch him continue to develop.”

In 153 games with the Bulls (143 starts), Hinrich has averaged 13.9 points, 6.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.46 steals in 36 minutes. He has shot 39.2 percent from the field, including 37.2 percent on three-pointers, and 79.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Coach Scott Skiles would like to see Hinrich, a former Kansas University standout, develop more consistency this season with his shooting percentage.

“He’s shot the ball well in practice, and statistically he’s shot it well in games,” Skiles said. “Most of Kirk’s life, even in college, he’d go through periods where he’d miss three of four (shots), make four of five. That’s kind of what he does.

“He does so much out there that his shooting sometimes becomes secondary, but he’s a totally different player when he’s knocking down shots.”

Before the start of the 2006-07 season, Paxson must decide if he wants to sign Hinrich – the seventh pick in the 2003 draft – to a long-term deal before he can become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2007.